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Fishing by bailing the boat out, used my new drogue and making three passes without success in the White Loch, stalking in the area with the same result and so watching cricket after a bath at the hotel
After yesterday, I opted to lay in for a leisurely start to the day and breakfast before going out. I still fed and exercised the dog beforehand. Fullish day; fishing in the White Loch but with no positive result. Bailed the boat out, used my new drogue and made three passes at the loch and then walked round the southern bank changing from wet to dry fly as well as I went. I fished the small loch very hard but still had no success. All this despite seeing several very strong rises which left me quite baffled.
I called in on Charlie Sutherland on the way home but still no replacement gearbox had arrived. Dinner after a bath at the hotel and then watched England just lose a dramatic one-day cricket test match to Australia by a very few runs.
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Roe Buck Butchering by Bues of Thurso and fruitless deer stalking but six hares shot to save the trees
Out early, stalking around the north of Broubster but there was nothing doing. The rest of the morning taking my roe buck into Thurso to Hugh of Bues Butchers in Princes Street. When I collected it at the end of the day, he had turned it into two fine haunches and a good saddle, several pounds of sausages and mince with the rest of the neck cut up as possible stewing steak. A first class job by one well used to handling roe buck for the charge of only five pounds.
I also spent much of the morning sitting at Charlie Sutherlands desk trying to sort out a solution for my Range Rover. The supplier had reneged on his commitment to supply the exchange automatic gearbox and was now talking about having one for the end of the week! I went in to see him, expecting to wait a week for a replacement gearbox but came out with one being despatched this day which was a great improvement. The evening back at Broubster stalking the area near to the brook and Dulochan system after finding roe buck markings there earlier. Had no success in that regard but broke my disappointment by shooting at least another half-dozen hares after dark before coming home.
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I undertook a solitary morning stalk via Creag Mhor in Achvarasdal, Broubster. with a first class stalk and kill of a hare
I undertook a solitary morning stalk via Creag Mhor in Achvarasdal, Broubster. I saw a roe doe but no buck, through the trees were barked and other signs were everywhere to indicate his presence. At this time of year, the does are moving to feed themselves and the two young they have inside them but, until the rut in late July/early August, the bucks are quite inactive. I used my rifle, however, with a first class stalk and kill of a hare. The .243 blew a hole in him but that was one less hare to nibble my hardwoods! A clear morning and fine dawn but it rained from breakfast onwards after I had returned to the hotel and walked the dog. I then spent some time inside and updated my journal as the first opportunity for these last seven days activity. I went out stalking again in the evening but no additions to the larder resulted.
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I went fishing with Ian McGregor to Loch Nan Clach in South Strathy. I had two brown trout and Ian one "keeper" but we lost many more.
I went fishing with Ian McGregor to Loch Nan Clach in South Strathy. I found the boat swamped and bailing it seemed to make matters worse and so we fished from the bank. I had two brown trout and Ian one "keeper" but we lost many more. Sam stole Ian's lunch bag and carted it off before we noticed it and so the entire bag and contents was lost! Strange to report that we also caught some small sea trout from the loch and so the outlet must have been sufficient to have received a run of them.